


Stay

by Cour104



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Death, Season 4 Spoilers, alternate s4 ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-18 19:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12395082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cour104/pseuds/Cour104
Summary: What if Lotor hadn't made it in time?Or: Keith gets hurt and Lance talks to him about his importance to the team.





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Luca404](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luca404/gifts).



> Keith just needs to know how important he is. Can someone (Lance) please talk to my child and let him know he's wanted? Is that too much to ask for?? *sobbing*
> 
> As you can see, I'm still not over season 4.

“Good work, Keith,” Shiro praised as the gravity holding Voltron down dissipated, the purple barrier receding.

“I didn’t think you had it in you, Mullet,” Lance teased with a grin, happy to finally be able to move his lion. His smile began to fall when the comms were met with silence, no witty comeback or annoyed scoff. _“Keith?”_ It was hardly a whisper, barely escaping his lips.

Lance felt his stomach churn. Something was wrong. He knew it. He could feel Red, her energy darker than usual. Rather than a blazing fire, ready to burn down anyone who stood in her way, all Lance could feel was a flickering flame. That’s when Matt began to speak.

His voice wavered as he explained what had happened. What Keith had done. Lance thought he heard someone screaming but he couldn’t tell who it was, the blood pounding in his ears. His throat felt raw and he realized that it was him.

He heard someone call his name as Voltron broke apart, Red flying away. Lance wasn’t sure if he was piloting her or if she was flying of her own free will. It didn’t matter either way, as long as they got to him.

Lance remembered when Keith left for the Blade. He remembered the tightness in his chest as they said their goodbyes. The tears in his eyes as he made his way to his room. The thought of Keith not being at training the next day filling him with dread. He couldn’t lose Keith, not again.

He blinked the tears out of his eyes as he took in the rubble floating around him. He swallowed back the bile threatening to make its way up his throat and forced himself out of his seat.

“I’ll find him, Red,” He promised. He could feel Red pushing on his mind, sending him support.

He used his jetpack to maneuver through the debris, his heart hammering in his chest. Keith was here. He had to be.

Lance’s stomach dropped when he saw the fighter jet. _Keith_. He flew towards it, ignoring the pain as shards of metal cut into his suit. Fire licked up the sides of one wing, the other one torn off. The glowing red was diminished to a faint burgundy and sparks flew from a gaping hole in the front, which was jagged and burnt beyond recognition. Lance pushed himself forward, prying the jet open. Sweat trickled down his face, the heat almost overbearing as the flames grew. He knew he didn’t have long until they engulfed the entire jet.

His breath hitched when his eyes landed on Keith. A gash tore open the front of his suit, blood flowing from it. Burns decorated his face, the edges of his hair singed away.

“K-keith?” Lance’s voice trembled as he made his way towards him.

Keith let out a groan and Lance was dizzy with relief. He was alive. Lance stumbled forward, carefully scooping Keith into his arms, who coughed as he was jostled, blinking up blearily.

“L-lance?” He murmured, his voice heavy, as if he were falling asleep. Lance shushed him but he kept talking anyway. “Y-you shouldn’t have come here. Too dangerous.”

“What and leave you to die?” Lance’s tone was playful but Keith could hear the sorrow underlying his words.

“Mission more important than single life.” His words were slurred, his eyes laden with exhaustion.

Lance felt cold at what Keith was implying and pulled him closer to his chest. He was careful not to jostle him too much as he made his way back to Red, the heat of the flames subsiding. Red met him halfway, her mouth opening and scooping up her Paladins.

Lance carefully laid Keith down, willing Red to fly back to the castle. He felt sick as he surveyed Keith’s wounds. Lacerations and burns covered his body, the worse wound being the gash across his chest. Lance grabbed his jacket, which he’d left nearby, and rolled it into a ball, pressing it against the wound.

“Hey, stay with me, okay? We'll get you back to the castle, just stay awake. A few days in a healing pod and you’ll be just fine,” Lance promised, unsure of who he was trying to convince.

Keith shook his head, wincing at the movement. “I-I was supposed to die.”

“Listen, I know the Galra have that whole _victory or death_ motto, but that doesn’t mean you get to just throw your life away!” Lance could feel the anger rising but pushed it down. Now wasn’t the time.

“I just… Wanted to save you guys.”

“Well, now it’s our turn to save you.”

“Don’t need saving. I want... “

_“Want what?”_ Lance’s voice was sharper than he intended.

“To die.”

Lance felt sick. Keith _wanting_ to die. His arms shook as he applied pressure to the wound, tears falling from his eyes.

“W-why would you want that, Keith?” This time Lance’s voice was soft, the anger drained from him.

“I’m not needed. Best to just sacrifice myself. Be useful one last time.”

_“Keith,”_ Lance gasped, feeling horrified by Keith’s revelation.

Keith blinked his eyes open at Lance’s tone, a frown tugging on his lips. He reached up, wiping the tears from Lance’s face.

“S-sorry,” He whispered as his hand fell limp.

Lance felt panic engulf him as Red landed in the hangar. He grabbed Keith and ran towards med bay.

_“Coran I need a pod!”_ He called into the comms as he sprinted down the hall.

When he made it to med bay the rest of the team had already gathered. Lance’s vision blurred, his breath coming in short gasps as he took in their tear streaked faces. He felt someone take Keith from him and he fell to his knees, a sob escaping his lips.

_Keith._ Lance felt the name like a punch to the gut. His teammate, his _friend_. He let him down. He let him _leave_. Let him believe he wasn’t wanted, wasn’t needed. If only he knew how untrue that was. The thought of Keith sacrificing himself… Lance let out another sob as he imagined Keith torn and bloody, his skin pale, chest still. _No_. It was wrong.

Lance wasn’t sure how long he’d laid there crying, but when he collected himself him and Coran were the only two left in the room.

“Feeling better, my boy?” Coran asked, his voice soft as he looked up from his monitors.

_“Keith?”_ Was all Lance was able to say, rasped out between shuddering breaths as he forced his sobs to subside.

“He’s in the pod,” Coran pointed and Lance let out a laugh as he was filled with relief. It was a broken laugh, one that echoed through the room, causing Coran to shudder, worry filling his eyes. “You got him here just in time.”

Lance nodded. “Where are the others?”

“They thought it best to give you some space. You know, you got pretty banged up out there, you might find it beneficial to go in a pod yourself.”

Lance shook his head. “No, I-I need to be here when he wakes up. It’s only a few cuts, I’ll be fine.”

 Coran looked like he wanted to argue but decided against it, offering Lance a sad smile before turning back to the monitor.

Lance positioned himself across from Keith’s pod, watching it as if Keith would disappear the second he looked away. He must have fallen asleep at one point because when he opened his eyes a blanket was draped over his shoulders, a plate of food goo left beside him.

He ate a few bites, his eyes roaming over Keith. The burns were completely gone, his cuts reduced to small pink lines. The relief Lance felt was overshadowed by worry. He knew this would happen again.

How many times would Keith attempt to sacrifice himself before he succeeded? How could he think he wasn’t needed? The team needed him, _Lance_ needed him.

Lance’s thoughts were cut off at the woosh of the healing pod. He jumped up, catching Keith as he stumbled forward. He squeezed him tightly because right now he was here. Right now he was okay.

“Lance-”

“No,” Lance cut him off, holding him at arm's length, “You can’t do that. You don’t _get_ to die.”

“A soldier has to do what’s best for the mission.”

“Screw the mission, Keith! It doesn’t matter as much as you!”

Keith frowned, pulling away. “I have to go. The Blade has important missions I need to be briefed on.”

Lance grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Don’t go, at least not yet. You need rest. Come on, let’s go to your room.”

Keith flinched at that. 

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Keith lied, shrugging it off.

"I know you, I know it's not. Want to talk about it when we get to your room?"

Keith flinched again and Lance's worry grew.

_"Your room,"_ Lance spoke slowly, watching as Keith seemed to shrink into himself. "I don't understand."

Keith sighed, sinking to sit on the floor. Lance joined him, eagerly awaiting his explanation.

"It's not... It's not _my_ room, okay? I mean, yes I sleep there, but it's not mine. It's just a room in the castle that I happen to inhabit every once in awhile."

"Keith-"

"I don't... I don't get a room okay? If I ever tried to settle down, decorate or feel attached, I'd just end up throwing everything away within a few weeks, unable to take anything with me when I was moved to another home. I always had somewhere to sleep, but it was never my space. I have my jacket and I have my knife, that's all I need. I can't... I can't call it _my_ room. I can't. It'll hurt to much when I have to leave. It _did_ hurt when I left. But not as much as it could have."

Tears were falling from Keith's eyes now and Lance reached out, pulling him to his chest.

"You didn’t have to leave, Keith. You can come back," Lance promised, murmuring into his hair.

"No,” Keith shook his head, “I had to leave before I was rejected.”

"Keith-"

“I have to go. I’m not needed here. Five lions remember?”

“Take Red!” It slipped out before Lance could stop himself. He meant it though.

“Lance I can’t. Red’s yours now.”

“I will gladly give up being a Paladin if it means you stay.”

“Lance, I-”

“It doesn’t matter whether or not you fly a lion. We’re a family Keith, no one gets left behind.”

"Is.. Is that from Lilo and Stitch?"

"You finally understood a reference! But really Keith, look at Coran, he doesn't fly a lion but we still need him."

"Yeah but he flies the castleship."

"And you're our sharp Samurai. We'd be nothing without you. You're irreplaceable, you hear me? We need you, _I_ need you."

 Keith wanted to believe him.

“I-I-”

“Just stay, okay?”

Keith stared at him, searching his face for any insincerity. He let out a sigh and nodded. He didn’t know what would happen, but he decided to trust Lance.

“Okay,” Keith agreed and Lance hugged him tighter.

"Now come on," Lance stood, pulling Keith up with him. He grabbed his hand, dragging him down the hall. "Let's go to your room and make a list of things to buy next time we're at the space mall. I was thinking some cool posters and maybe some-"

Keith tuned Lance out, a small smile on his lips. Because for the first time, Keith felt like he was home.

**Author's Note:**

> My friend challenged me to an angst war and I never back down. I hope this was angsty enough.
> 
> My Tumblr is @theincredibleshippingqueen follow if you want :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


End file.
